Texas Camp

Texas Camp, held each Thanksgiving weekend, is one of the longest-running and best-loved international folk dance camps in the U.S. The setting is Greene Family Camp, a modern facility in the scenic hill-country of Central Texas. Texas Camp offers a unique opportunity to join in a celebration of music and dance from all over the world in an informal and supportive atmosphere.

In addition to dance instruction — provided by world-class instructors each year — we offer singing classes, a family program with special activities for children ages 3-12, folklore presentations, hearty ethnic cuisine, a host of special-interest dance sessions, and incredible evening parties with live music. Musicians are always welcome at Texas Camp, and are encouraged to join our friendly camp band to perform at parties each evening.

We hope you will join us for a wonderful holiday experience full of dancing, feasting, fellowship, music and fun.

Texas Camp 2017 features:

Christian Florescu & Sonia Dion

Cristian Florescu was born in Bucharest, Romania. In 1982, he began dancing with Romanian folk ensembles and studying with specialists, including the renowned Theodor Vasilescu. As a principal dancer with the National Ensemble Cununa Carpatilor, Cristian toured worldwide. He was chief répétiteur for the Folk Ensemble Balada in Romania, choreographer for Academic Ensemble Joc in Moldova, and in 1990-91 was honored as a solo dancer and choreographer in the field of folklore by the Romanian Ministry of Culture. From 1993 through 2003, Cristian was active as a dancer, teacher, répétiteur and choreographer with Montreal’s professional folk dance company, Les Sortilèges.

Quebec native Sonia Dion, a professional dancer for more than 20 years, was lead dancer and choreographer for Les Sortilèges, Canada’s oldest professional folk dance ensemble. During her time there, she developed new productions including Une page d’histoire, Un pas de danse, Montréal en danse, and Pour se faire plaisir. During much global touring, Sonia has studied and come to love a wide range of dance techniques including Romanian folk dance, Scottish highland dancing, French-Canadian clogging, and ballroom dancing.

Cristian and Sonia have been guest performers with the Collage International Dance Ensemble of Boston, regular teachers at l’ École supérieure de danse du Québec and were selected to participate in the Québec Ministry of Education’s Artists in the Schools program. In recent years, pursuing a joint interest in working with recreational folk dance groups, the pair has taught throughout Europe, Asia and North America, sharing their love of Romanian folk traditions. After an initial appearance as faculty for the 60th Texas Camp in 2007, they have returned to Texas to teach for TIFD and also for the San Antonio Folk Dance Festival.

Richard Powers

Richard Powers is a full-time instructor in contemporary social dancing and dance history at the Stanford University Dance Division, Department of Theater and Performance Studies. His principal focus since 1975 has been social dance forms from the Renaissance era to the present. Specializations include 19th century American and European social dance, dances of the Ragtime Era and Jazz Ages, and the evolving vernacular dance forms of today.

He founded the Clifton Court Dancers, the Flying Cloud Academy of Vintage Dance, the Flying Cloud Troupe, and the Stanford Vintage Dance Ensemble. Richard’s choreography and direction credits for television and stage include 19th century ballroom dance for the Warner Brothers/ABC film North and South, and Victorian ballroom dance for the public television film Mrs. Perkins’ Ball.

Richard has led and performed historic dances worldwide, from the Smithsonian Institution to the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival to the Valentine’s Day Ball at the Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland (featured on television’s 60 Minutes).

The many workshops of period dance in Richard’s career include those sponsored by Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome; Lincoln Center, New York; Early Dance Circle, London; Sano Dance Center, Tokyo; Arts et Mouvement, Paris; and the City of Kharkiv, Ukraine. Beginning in 1987 he has taught at TIFD’s Texas Camp several times, notably for the 50th Texas Camp celebration.

Additional attractions

Enjoy wonderful ethnic cuisine made from traditional recipes

Shop at the Balkan Bazaar for authentic costumes – We are delighted to have Suze and Richie bringing us their mountain of folk-friendly treasures once again this year!

Kids’ club for kids age 3-16, where our experienced sta of counselors create a magical
experience for our younger generation.

Children’s music and dance coordinator, who will ensure that members of Kids’ Club have the opportunity to learn age-appropriate and fun music and dance.

Texas Camp features a strong live-music tradition, and we’re delighted that the talented and versatile Don Weeda returns to direct the Texas Camp Band. The versatile TexasCamp Band, Homegrown Contra Band, Slavadillo, and others will also perform.

Parties!

THURSDAY NIGHT: Enchantment Under the Seven Seas

At evening’s high tide, we’ll get along swimmingly as we join the rest of the school — fish, that is — on the dance, er, sea floor. If it’s under the ocean, it’s at the top of the list as a costume idea. Come out of your shell and shine. Fins and scales and sunken treasure tales, that’s what this party is made of!

ROMANIAN NIGHT: Seven Shades of Romania

Folk dancers are nothing if not colorful, right? Let’s paint the town with the full spectrum of hues from the the brilliant Romanian rainbow. Don your embroidered ethnic best, dress head to toe in your favorite color, or heck — wear them all. Roy G. Biv, baby!*
(*red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet)

VINTAGE NIGHT: Lucky Seven Casino

Hey, all you vintage guys and dolls, the casino is open! Glamour and danger glitter in the air. Risk a game of chance, or ask your baby for a dance. Gangsters, movie stars, gold diggers, spies, rum-runners and royalty all rub shoulders here, puttin’ on the Ritz in
their finest fancy duds from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. Roll up in your Rolls, roll down your stockings and roll the dice. It’s swell!

Afternoon delights!

Contra: Grab a partner and form a long line for live music and contra dances galore…

fix! Come find a partner for Hungarian couple dancing.
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Financial assistance

TIFD offers a limited number of full scholarships in memory of longtime dancer and Texas Camp attendee Bobbi Gillotti. An application form will be posted at a later date.

Family Support Program

Children 16 and younger attend free with parent or guardian; so, this year make Texas Camp a family affair! While parents participate in workshops or evening parties, kids age 3 and up can be part of Kids’ Club, where our experienced staff of counselors create a magical experience for our younger generation. Whether at the “Clubhouse” for arts and crafts or leading a scavenger hunt, the Kids’ Club staff will help facilitate games, activities, and projects to engage and delight our younger campers, while they form friendships that last. Special this year, we have a Children’s Music and Dance Coordinator on staff, who will ensure that members of Kids’ Club have the opportunity to learn age-appropriate and fun Turkish, Scandinavian, and other international folk dances.